Jan Marini Age Intervention Eye Cream Horror Story
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Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:59 am

I'm a new member to this forum. I had been using the eye cream for about 2 months and woke up with very puffy eyes. I'm generally not allergic to anything so happened to think it was an issue with my sunscreen. I woke up to immensely red and swollen eyes, so much that when I took my daughter to the pediatrician two days later, the nurse assumed we had been in a car accident! This took five days of working from home, icing and using a cream my doctor mailed to me called Biafine. It's used for 2nd and 3rd degree burn victims!!

Not realizing it was the eye cream I had been using for two months, a week or so later I began using the Jan Marini again. The next day my eyes were red ringed and so swollen I looked like an alien! This was last week, the weekend between Christmas and New Year's. Again, I had another five days of downtime.

I'm appalled there are not more stringent guidelines about using a product like this. I had used Obaji products for several years and have very thick skin and never had to deal with anything even remotely like this. I no longer use the Obaji after getting good results with a blue peel.

After this I'm scared to use anything at all on my eyes other than cleanser and make up remover! I had no idea this could happen, so when it happened the second time, I did some research and discovered other women had the same experience. I had always thought Jan Marini was a reputable brand. This is a product that should come with clearly marked warnings. I've never experienced something that gave me such an intense reaction months after using it.

free skin care · Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:40 pm

libragirl wrote:

I had always thought Jan Marini was a reputable brand. This is a product that should come with clearly marked warnings. I've never experienced something that gave me such an intense reaction months after using it.

You poor thing! I hope things are better now..

It actually does come with this warning as per the EDS store;

Useage
Apply once or twice daily or as directed by a physician or skin care professional.

Warnings:
Avoid contact with eyes. If redness, irritation or excessive stinging develops, discontinue use and consult your physician or skincare professional.

Ingredients
Jan Marini Age Intervention Eye Cream contains: Deionized Water, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Emulsifying Wax, Jojoba Oil, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans (and) Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Green Tea Extract, Algae Extract, Peptide (Myristoyl Tetrapeptide-10 and Myristoyl Hexapeptide-4) and Retinol Complex, Red Clover Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Aminoguanidina Hydrochloride, Allstin, Hydroxylapatite, Glycolipids and Hyaluronic Acid, Creatine, Phenoxyethanol (and) Butylparaben (and) Ethylparaben (and) Propylparaben (and) Methylparaben, Pregnenolone Acetate, Tocoparsolan, Lupin Oil and Wheat Germ Oil extract, ASC III, Water (and) Lecthin (and) Plankton Extract, Ubiquinone, Rose Hip Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Saccaromyces/Copper Ferment, Spirolina Amino Acids, L-Tyrosine.

There are a few harsh ingredients, and no shortage of parabens, that's for sure. Did you use this on it's own, or coupled up with other products?

Mon Jan 04, 2010 4:15 pm

Thanks for your response. I was not using any other products with the Jan Marini eye cream. The warnings they use are conventional and industry-standards.

My episodes came without any previous burning, itching, swelling or puffiness. I applied the eye cream as usual, it felt fine going on. I went to bed a few hours later and woke up looking like an airbag had gone off in my face. The possibility that it was related to a product that I had been using without incident for two months was what stumped me -- and why I applied the cream again, after waiting 2 weeks from the first incident.

That is what I learned online, most of these reactions were cumulative, not an immediate response upon application. Something not clearly stated in their 'warning'.

I will never use another Jan Marini product and will dissuade others from using their products. Itching or puffiness is a predictable side effect, looking as though you had been on the losing end of a boxing tournament is not.

Shame on the Jan Marini brand. I hope they get slapped with a nice class action lawsuit.

free skin care · Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:42 pm

I did find this for you:

http://www.treatment-skincare.com/June-2007/JMSR-AIEC.html

I can't say whether or not it was the retinol content that caused your distress. I do know that Marini uses a 0.25% concentration in their Factor A Eye cream (a different product than what you were using). I would suspect that the concentration of Retinol Complex is at a lower percentage (based on it's position on the ingredients list).

Have you used any retinol products in your eye area before? It does sound more like an allergic reaction to me, based on your symptoms.

Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:23 pm

I don't think it's retinol, but I can see why you would suspect that. I used Obaji for 4 years and very lightly applied the retin A around the eye area - my doctor said it would be fine with my skin type. I never had an issue with Obaji and I was using it very aggressively until about 2 years ago, after I had a blue peel and no longer felt it was necessary.

Appreciate the insight, ordinarily I would suspect some sort of retinol, but I'm not allergic to anything like that. THe curious thing is why it happened after using it for 2 months, once or sometimes even twice a day (as directed).

Thanks for your observations. Smile

free skin care · Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:54 pm

i wonder if the cream became contaminated somehow. from my memory, it was housed in a little jar where you dip fingers in to apply. i never had any problems using that particular eye cream from jan marini and neither did my mother.

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:51 am

thank you for the review.
i received a sample of the the cleanser and eye cream... and if i test them, i now know to do so with caution.
this is of particular interest since i have been reading and comtemplating JM products for over a month. i keep staring at the TGF line and tempted to incorporate it into my skincare regime.

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:07 am

libragirl,

From what I have seen, heard and read allergic reactions can suddenly appear even after something has been used for quite a while, the more and longer you are exposed to anything you may be predisposed to allergies to the more likely it is you will have that nasty allergic reaction!
I am sorry for your horrible experience with this, I truly hope you can pinpoint the offending ingredient and avoid it at all costs in the future!

DM

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:23 am

DarkMoon wrote:

libragirl,

From what I have seen, heard and read allergic reactions can suddenly appear even after something has been used for quite a while, the more and longer you are exposed to anything you may be predisposed to allergies to the more likely it is you will have that nasty allergic reaction!
I am sorry for your horrible experience with this, I truly hope you can pinpoint the offending ingredient and avoid it at all costs in the future!

DM

yes, pardon me, my manners... i'm sorry this happened to you. skincare disasters are very upsetting. i wish there was a way that we could all avoid this.

thank you, angel, for reminding me of my manners. i'm not always so insensitive. sorry, i had a brain freeze there since i haven't been sleeping, and staying up reading on EDS.

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:49 pm

llina,

I wasn't scolding you or anyone at all Smile

Just making the point allergic reactions just pop
up and surprise us at times! Sorry you aren't sleeping, but your manners are perfectly fine!

DM
Smile

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:54 pm

hey, you had an allergic reaction, its not JM's fault,just dont use it anymore. If you are allergic to peanut butter you just dont eat it instead of blaming Skippy or the Jiff company

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 3:38 pm

lucyluc wrote:

hey, you had an allergic reaction, its not JM's fault,just dont use it anymore. If you are allergic to peanut butter you just dont eat it instead of blaming Skippy or the Jiff company

You are such a character! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 3:56 pm

DarkMoon wrote:

llina,

I wasn't scolding you or anyone at all Smile

Just making the point allergic reactions just pop
up and surprise us at times! Sorry you aren't sleeping, but your manners are perfectly fine!

DM
Smile

no no not at all. when i read your post and then read mine, i realized what an insensitive ass i am. that i was totally ignoring her pain, but going on about how intrigued i am with this line and how i keep staring at the TGF bottles.

sometimes, we're so keen on our own desires that it blinds us to the reality of someone else pain and suffering. i just had a brain lapse... like homer simpson, but instead of donuts, it was the jmarini serum.

free skin care · Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:03 pm

I know it's OK we all get caught up
like that at times! Smile

DM

llina wrote:

DarkMoon wrote:

llina,

I wasn't scolding you or anyone at all Smile

Just making the point allergic reactions just pop
up and surprise us at times! Sorry you aren't sleeping, but your manners are perfectly fine!

DM
Smile

no no not at all. when i read your post and then read mine, i realized what an insensitive ass i am. that i was totally ignoring her pain, but going on about how intrigued i am with this line and how i keep staring at the TGF bottles.

sometimes, we're so keen on our own desires that it blinds us to the reality of someone else pain and suffering. i just had a brain lapse... like homer simpson, but instead of donuts, it was the jmarini serum.

Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:30 pm

Thank you for the succinct analogy, albeit coming from a flawed premise. If it was peanuts I was allergic to, naturally, I would avoid peanut products. I have no allergies that I know of and am tolerant of skin products.

I had such a severe reaction to the JM cream that a nurse took one look at me and assumed I had been in a car accident. I looked that awful.

I don't plan to use JM products in the future because I don't want to repeat my experience or test each ingredient to find what caused the problem. This is different for everyone, lots of people rave about JM.

Sidebar: When I returned the eye cream I was given a full refund. My spa no longer carries that particular eye cream - something similar happened to another client. For them, as for me, it's easier to eliminate it than to figure out what specific ingredient caused the reaction.

Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:48 pm

My last note was intended for lucyluc and her analogy: avoiding peanut products instead of blaming the company that makes peanut butter.

btw: Jif is a product brand, not a company. The company that makes Jif is Smuckers.

- - -
I appreciate the collective wisdom and overall sensitivity of the members of this forum, and will talk with my doctor before trying any other products. JM (for whatever reasons) just isn't my cup of Darjeeling.

free skin care · Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:52 am

welcome to EDS libragirl!
sorry about all the commotion. i know you'll come to love it here!

free skin care · Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:36 am

I was reading on the Melbourne Dermatology site and happened to come across their article regarding the Jan Marini eye cream you used and they cautioned to not use it longer than 6 months which I realize is not your problem but speaks to the harsher and possibly negative reactions to her product. I am not sure if it is the best site for information but they seem to have good information. not sure what others think? I am sorry for your problems with it. It is upsetting when our skin has such a bad reaction.

Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:50 am

How curious - I didn't know about a 6 month limit. My aesthetician feels that Jan Marini uses harsh ingredients. I'm using something gentle now (an eye gel, by Tuel) that works for me. I have to be very cautious with the skin around my eyes and wear sunscreen daily - it seems the skin is more sensitive and even walking to my car from where I work, the skin around my eyes will pink up.

free skin care · Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:39 pm

i didn't know that about jan marini either. its not stated on the EDS shopping site and its not mentioned on the product descriptions.

libragirl, your eyes are still sensitive from the jan marini incident? Shock

free skin care · Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:25 pm

llina wrote:

i didn't know that about jan marini either. its not stated on the EDS shopping site and its not mentioned on the product descriptions.

libragirl, your eyes are still sensitive from the jan marini incident? Shock

I sure hope not that's a long time for libragirl to deal with problems from using the product!

HI BABYDOLL Smile

DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:29 pm

DarkMoon wrote:

llina wrote:

i didn't know that about jan marini either. its not stated on the EDS shopping site and its not mentioned on the product descriptions.

libragirl, your eyes are still sensitive from the jan marini incident? Shock

I sure hope not that's a long time for libragirl to deal with problems from using the product!

HI BABYDOLL Smile

DM

hi angel,
yup, that's a long time... but why would her eyes pink up and all the extra care around her eyes. it doesn't sound good.

free skin care · Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:23 pm

BabyDoll,

Let's just hope she comes back with a good report and all is well now! Smile

DM

llina wrote:

DarkMoon wrote:

llina wrote:

i didn't know that about jan marini either. its not stated on the EDS shopping site and its not mentioned on the product descriptions.

libragirl, your eyes are still sensitive from the jan marini incident? Shock

I sure hope not that's a long time for libragirl to deal with problems from using the product!

HI BABYDOLL Smile

DM

hi angel,
yup, that's a long time... but why would her eyes pink up and all the extra care around her eyes. it doesn't sound good.

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